


Consider This: Peanuts

by CR Noble (erudite12)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dean's Self Doubt, Fluff, John actually seems like a decent dad for once, M/M, Mention of biphobia, Wedding, destiel bingo, destiel port bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 17:55:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17750702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erudite12/pseuds/CR%20Noble
Summary: Dean isn’t sure why he RSVP’d to his dad’s wedding with a plus one, but only a week before the big day, he still doesn’t have a date. So he decides to do the next best thing. He asks his best friend to go with him and pretend to be his boyfriend.





	Consider This: Peanuts

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Consider This: Peanuts  
> Pairing: Destiel, background Sam/Jess  
> Characters: Sam Winchester, Jess Moore, Dean Winchester, Castiel Novak, John Winchester, Original Female Character  
> Bingo Square: G3 Undercover as boyfriends/husbands  
> Word Prompt: Apples, Lies  
> Word Count: ~3K  
> Warnings: Dean’s Self Doubt, mentions of biphobia, fluff, I think that’s it  
> Summary: Dean isn’t sure why he RSVP’d to his dad’s wedding with a plus one, but only a week before the big day, he still doesn’t have a date. So he decides to do the next best thing. He asks his best friend to go with him and pretend to be his boyfriend.  
> Author’s Note:This is unbeta’d. I wanted to get this posted before submissions closed, so I didn’t have time for a beta. But I did manage to get my word prompt from this week and last week in here. Hope you guys like it!!
> 
> Also, the title is completely unrelated. It was just a thing that happened with Serenity and Kitty in the Writers of Destiel server on Discord.

Dean was nervous about attending his father’s wedding. Sure, he was glad Dad had been able to move past mom’s death and find someone that he could be happy with, but Dean was as single as ever. Which was awkward, seeing as he’d told John that he had been in a relationship for months. He stared at the surprisingly modern style invitation hanging on his refrigerator, rereading the simple white and gold lettering for what had to be the millionth time:

His RSVP had been sent weeks ago, marking Dean down with a plus one, and choosing the steak option for himself and his imaginary date. He was well and stuck now. He had to find someone to go with him, and that someone would have to be willing to pretend they were in a relationship.

Thumbing through his phone’s contact list, Dean sighed. This was ridiculous. He should just call Dad up right now and tell him the truth. He was a grown ass man.

A grown ass man that was still afraid of disappointing his Daddy.

Dean’s relationship with John had been strained for years when his father met Kate. John hadn’t handled it well when Dean came out as bisexual. Too tied up in old, traditional ideas of what a man was supposed to be, and how relationships were supposed to work, he’d flat out refused to accept it. Nothing Dean hadn’t expected, of course. He knew his father well enough to know he wouldn’t be pleased by the admission. But still, it was more important to be true to himself.

And yet? Here he was again. Lying to his old man about dating someone because Dean didn’t want to let the man down. At least his dad seemed to be okay with the idea that dated dudes now.

On an impulse, Dean sent Castiel a text. He stubbornly chose not to look to closely at the reason why he’d chosen Cas, as he waited for the reply. When his phone dinged and he pulled up the message, he let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Cas had agreed to be his fake boyfriend at the wedding. 

“Honestly, Dean,” Sam said, “you should really just fly up with Jess and me. That way we can have dinner or something before Dad is too busy to spend any time with us.”

Dean shuddered at the thought. “No way you’re getting me into a practically inescapable metal death trap at 30,000 feet. Even Dad’s wedding isn’t that important.” Dean grimaced, and Sam just rolled his eyes and pulled the last of their bags out of the trunk of the Impala. “Besides, Cas will be with me and Lawrence isn’t really that far from Chicago.”

Jess leaned into the passenger side window and smiled brightly at him. “Just drive safely, you hear me. I’ll never hear the end of it if you don’t make it to the wedding.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dean waved her off good-naturedly. “We’ll see you two in a day or so.” He watched as they dragged their sensible rolling suitcases behind them and headed through the automatic doors of the airport. And he continued to pretend he wasn’t nervous about the prospect of having a pretend boyfriend at a wedding. And reception. Which, knowing the Winchesters, would probably involve entirely too much liquor and last hours. What if he slipped up? He didn’t want to ruin his father’s wedding day. It was too late to back out now, so he put the Impala in drive and made his way to the apartment building Cas lived in.

He was going to run upstairs and help Cas with his bags, but the man was already standing outside with a suitcase beside him, wearing that ridiculous trenchcoat to protect him from the still chilly weather of the Chicago spring. Not that he would stop wearing the thing when it got warmer. Dean reached across to crank the passenger side window down and smirked as Castiel approached the car.

“Hey there, handsome. You need a ride somewhere?”

Castiel’s head cocked to one side and his brow furrowed-- Dean refused to admit how adorable confusion looked on the man-- as he reached for the door handle. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dean. You’re already giving me a ride to your father’s wedding.”

Dean just shook his head. Someday, Cas would get his jokes. Maybe. “Get in, loser. We’re going to Kansas.” He smiled genuinely as his friend continued to look confused while climbing into the passenger seat. “Wanna grab a bite before we go?”

Cas shook his head solemnly. “I already ate breakfast. Why do you need me to pretend to be your boyfriend?”

Dean blanched. Always straight to the point with this one. “My dad thinks I have been dating someone for almost a year. I RSVP’d with a plus one. Take your pick.” He put the car in drive again and pulled back out onto the road. As he drove, he pretended he couldn’t feel his heart pounding against his ribs. He definitely wasn’t sneaking peeks at his ridiculously attractive passenger. Or thinking about running his fingers through that messy mop of brown hair. Or whether those lips were as chapped as they looked. Nope. Dean was driving. All of his attention was on the road ahead.

Hours passed as they drove down the highway, and the two spent the time playing stupid travel games that Dean remembered from his childhood and Cas didn’t really understand the point of.

“I spy, with my little eye, something yellow… ish,” Dean said, head bopping along to the beat of the classic rock that played quietly on the radio.

“Wheat,” Castiel responded, almost immediately. He was right of course. The wheat and corn fields were the only things to see for miles, with the exception of other cars. “Why don’t you tell your dad the truth?”

“Jesus, Cas,” Dean said, rolling his eyes, “I don’t think you understand how this game works.”

“I understand the game well enough. It’s far less interesting than your deception.”

“I just don’t want to ruin his wedding. He’s expecting me to be there with a significant other. Hell, once he decided to be okay with me being bi, he just thought I’d end up with someone faster. Bigger dating pool and all that.” Dean kept his eyes on the road as he spoke, refusing to look over when could feel Cas’s eyes boring into him. His skin warmed and prickled under the gaze.

“What exactly will this entail?”

“What?” Dean glanced over at his companion, taking in his serious, contemplative face. Cas clearly considered it a legitimate question. “I honestly hadn’t thought about it. We’ll be sitting together for sure. Definitely hand holding. They’ll expect us to dance together at the reception. Beyond that, I guess I’m kind of flying by the seat of my pants. But, you know, you don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” Dean absolutely was _not_ thinking about kissing Cas again. 

“I am not a skilled dancer.” Castiel’s eyes were forward again, his face still serious as he studied the road ahead. They didn’t talk about it much after that, and after about another four hours or so, Dean was pulling the Impala into a parking spot at the Days Inn. It was early evening then, too late for dinner, but certainly early enough for a drink or three, so after unloading the car and settling into their shared room, Dean invited Cas out to a local bar.

Classic rock echoed off the walls of the reception hall as Dean and Cas walked through the doors. The wedding had been beautiful-- Dean would never admit it, but he’d even teared up a little at the vows Kate and his dad had written themselves-- and he couldn’t remember the last time John had looked so happy. He had to admit, it was a good look on the old man. As much as he wanted to see his father, Dean was also glad that he’d been able to avoid him before the wedding. He was nervous about the whole fake relationship plan, sure he was going to screw it up somehow.

When Castiel stepped closer to him, threading an arm through his, Dean told himself that the tension seeping from his body was absolutely not because of the man’s touch. It was just relief that Cas was so good at playing along with the game. Yeah, that was it. He definitely couldn’t feel the heat radiating off his date--friend-- and it definitely didn’t set his heart racing.

* * *

“You ready for this?” Dean asked, looking over at Cas as casually as he could manage. There was a curious combination of excitement and weariness in his blue eyes. God, those eyes were bright. Dean could lose himself-- nope. He looked away suddenly, any semblance of nonchalance gone in an instant. What the hell was he doing? He stuffed whatever it was he was feeling down deep and plastered an insouciant smirk on his face.

“Are you ready for this?” Castiel’s deep, serious voice held concern and something else-- something warm and comforting-- that Dean couldn’t identify. He dared another glance at Cas, only to be met with that absurdly cute tilt of his head.

“I need a drink or twelve,” Dean managed. It was as close to honest as he was going to get. “Let’s rock this kasbah.”

“I don’t understand that reference,” Castiel responded, “but, a drink would be nice.” With that, they made their way through the growing throng of people to the open bar. Dean ordered an Old Fashioned and laughed raucously when Cas ordered an Appletini.

“Seriously? You’re as bad as Sam with the girly drinks.”

Castiel took the martini glass full of the bright green liquid by it's long stem when the bartender offered it. “It isn’t my fault you aren’t comfortable enough in your manhood to order a drink that actually tastes good,” he said, sipping his drink. Dean sputtered, unable to come up with a snappy retort. He was saved by a large hand clamping down on his shoulder.

“Welcome to the party, guys.” Sam had a beer in one hand, and his other arm wrapped around his wife’s waist. Dean was suddenly struck by the urge to hold Cas close to him in the same way. God dammit. Why wouldn’t his feelings behave? It's not like they were new. But he couldn’t let Castiel know. He would never take the chance of ruining their friendship. Instead of reaching for his date, he reached out to hug his brother.

“You’re too good for him,” Dean teased, winking at Jessica as he pulled away from Sam. She just shook her head and went in for her own hug.

“Your boyfriend’s cute,” she whispered in his ear before letting him go and turning to Cas. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Jess, Sam’s wife.” She held a hand out toward him.

Dean hoped Castiel wasn’t paying enough attention to him to see the blush rising from his collar and into his cheeks. No such luck, it seemed when his date cocked an eyebrow at him before shaking his sister-in-law’s hand. Dean was sure he’d never see his friend look at him that way. There was a heat in the blue eyes that, from anyone else, he would have been sure…

“Better be careful, Cas. Last time someone looked at me like that? I got laid.” He took a careful sip from his glass, keeping his eyes on the man. He was flirting with his fake boyfriend. Right. It was just a part of the act. The eyebrow arched a little higher, and his date’s face darkened.

“Behave yourself, Dean.” In no way-- in any universe-- could it have come across as a suggestion. Castiel’s voice was impossibly deep and imposing. And damn, if it didn’t send a delicious shiver down Dean’s spine. The man turned quietly back to Jess. “As I was going to say before being so interrupted, it's lovely to meet you. My name is Castiel, but my friend’s call me Cas.”

“It's great to meet you, too. Sam has actually told me a little about you.”

Dean leaned against the bar as they talked, trying to fade into the background a bit. This was a mistake. He should’ve asked someone else. His emotions were not interested in being wrangled. He stared, watching Cas as he conversed in his usual stern, but polite tones. He’d been attracted to the man for as long as they’d been friends, but he was so damn hard to read that Dean had never made a move. He didn’t want to be rejected, but more than that, he didn’t want to ruin what they already had.

When he’d come out to his family, Sam had been immediately accepting, but John? Well, it didn’t go well. They didn’t talk for years after that, and with his brother off at Stanford, Cas had been the only person he’d had to talk to. Hell, he was probably the only reason Dean made it through his struggles with depression. So he’d decided to keep his feelings to himself. And Cas had never made any indication that the feelings were mutual.

“Dean?” John’s voice startled him back into the present. He’d been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed his father’s approach. The man stood at arms length, seeming unsure as to whether he should get any closer.

“Dad.” Dean smiled, closing the distance and wrapping his arms around John. Even though they spoke on the phone relatively often now, Dean had missed him. “Where’s Kate?”

“Oh, she’s mingling. Where’s your date?” John looked around, eyes settling on the group around his younger son. He raised his eyebrows a little, and Dean was suddenly a nervous teenager again. Scared of disappointing the man that raised him. “Is that him?”

The question was asked so casually that Dean was taken aback. “Uh… yeah. That’s him.” He wasn’t really sure what else to say. If he said too much, the lie might fall apart. Or he might be disappointed with the way his dad reacted. Or he might be a disappointment.

“Well, come on, son! Introduce us!” John headed towards them without any prompting, and Dean had little choice but to follow.

“Cas,” he said, more awkwardly than he intended. Cas looked up and moved up next to him, wrapping an arm possessively around his waist. “This is my dad, John.” He gestured toward his dad and tried to act natural. “Dad, this is Castiel. My… uh… boyfriend.”

Dean wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but it wasn’t John reaching out and wrapping Cas up in a bear hug. “Welcome to the family,” he said, warmly. Dean was a little stunned, though probably not as stunned as his date, who stood there with one arm still attempting to hold onto Dean and the other hanging limply at his side. John finally let him go and stepped back. “Listen, we’ll have to get to know each other a little better later. For now, I should get back to my wife, You boys ought to get out there and dance. Have some fun. It’s a party, after all.”

He was gone as quickly as he’d come, and while Dean was more than a little shocked, he also felt a bit bolder. He put his arm around Cas’s shoulders and dragged him away from Sam and Jess with a wink and a wave. It was just his luck that a slow song started as soon as Dean led his fake date onto the dance floor. 

He spun Cas to face him and pulled him in close so they could sway to Faithfully. He tried to calm his racing pulse. They were so close together he could smell the remnants of appletini on his date's breath. 

“This is nice,” Castiel said quietly, smiling and peering straight into Dean’s eyes. “I’m glad you asked me to be your fake boyfriend. But, you know, we don’t have to continue this deception if you don’t want to.”

Dean almost stopped dancing, but he caught himself and continued swaying, enjoying the feel of Cas’s body against his. “What do you mean?”

“I am not blind, Dean. You’re dad isn’t the one you’re lying to here.”

Dean didn’t have a response for that, so he kept his mouth shut and waited.

“You’re lying to yourself.” Cas stopped the dance then, forcing Dean to focus all of his attention on what was being said. “I am not the most… forward man. But, I have seen the way you look at me when you think I’m not paying attention.”

“Oh.” Dean’s heart was in his throat, keeping him from saying anything else. He swallowed thickly, looking down at Cas’s chest. He didn’t want to look into those blue eyes while he had to listen to the rejection that was sure to come.

“Dean, what I am trying to say is I think we should be real boyfriends.” 

“Hey, yeah… no I understand if you…” Dean looked up suddenly. “Wait, what?”

Castiel leaned forward and pressed his lips against Dean’s. It was a soft, chaste kiss, but Dean’s heart soared. Cas pulled back and met his eyes again. “Is that clear enough?”


End file.
